Zuraher
Setting Phonology Consonants Additionally, the following consonants exist: ɧ, ʍ, ʰ, ʷ, ˠ. Vowels Orthography Notes #Before or after Ä, Ë, Ö, Ü. If K is to remain /k/, it becomes CK (C initially). If G is to remain /g/, it becomes Q. #Before or after W as /ʋ/. #After velars. #Stressed (See Stress below). #As a final consonant. Phonotactics *A standard syllable is of the form (s)©(TR/A/LA)(j,w)V(j,w)(N)(C/AF), where the following are true: **C is any consonant **TR is a trill **A is an approximant **LA is a lateral approximant **V is a vowel **N is a nasal **AF is an affricate **(s) is Field 1, © is Field 2, and (TR/A/LA) is Field 3. *If Field 2 is a fricative and Field 3 is used, then Field 1 cannot be used (e.g. vl, *svr) *If Field 2 is H, then Fields 1 and 3 cannot be used (e.g. hat, *shler) *Field 2 cannot be a nasal if Field 3 is used (e.g. naf, *''nlaf'') *If E is used as a final letter, it is either reduced to /ə/ or muted. Stress Stress falls on: *Monosyllabic words (Drómpf). *The first syllable of disyllabic words (Sckő|lad). *The second syllable of tri- and quadrisyllabic words (A|stér|naf). *Every third syllable but the last, starting from the second, on words of 5+ syllables (Sfar|ján|to|ver|ikk). *Irregular stress is marked with a grave accent (Cől|en|di|ko|re). Basic Grammar Nouns Nouns are divided into three classes ("Genders") by their final letter: *I: Ends in a consonant (gant - "man") *II: Ends in an unaccented vowel (dampfe - "grass") *III: Ends in an accented vowel (stü - "water") They decline by case and number as follows: There are certain irregularities, namely with words ending in N and S. Both are Class I special cases. Articles Articles must agree with their nouns' class and number. Verbs Verbs conjugate by person, number, gender/formality and tense, with affixes to further augment conjugation. In the third person, the verb must agree with its actor's class. All other persons are Class I. "To be" The verb ver ("to be"), and other verbs with monosyllabic infinitives, use a different system of conjugation where the infinitive is the same as the root in most cases (except Pres 1p and 3pI-III). Ver itself conjugates irregularly in the present. Modal Verbs Modal verbs are used conjugated, with the verbs they augment becoming supine. Pronouns Personal Pronouns Personal Pronouns must agree with the verbs they are agent to, or the nouns they possess. Notes #Used for unknown subjects. #3sIII pronouns take 3sI verbs. #''tür'' in Dative Indefinite Pronouns Impersonal Pronouns Notes 1. The following table shows dative and genitive versions of certain impersonal pronouns. 2. These pronouns are always dative. Numbers The Zuraher counting system is base 10. Additionally, numbers ending in 1 or 2 and multiples of powers of ten are declined. *Note: Kod is an alternate pronunciation of cöt used by some speakers to distinguish 2 from 12. Numerical Derivations Adjectives Adjectives have a nominal (noun) form and a verbal (verb) form. Both forms must agree with the class of the words they modify. *Nominal forms describe nouns, and precede those they adhere to. *Verbal forms are the predicates of nouns that state the description of the object rather than passively describing them. The following tables describe the decliensions/conjugations of adjectives, using the root garid (big) as an example. Note that there is no participle form of the adjectives; participles themselves are adjectives. Misc. Derivations Prepositions Prepostions may take different cases based on context. Conjunctions The class of the last conjuncted word determines that of the overall phrase. Word Order and Sentence Structure Basic Sentences Subject-Predicate Sentences For subject-predicate sentences, the word order is SVO (as in English). : E.g. Wa sker de thoma. : 1s.NOM read.1s.PRES the.IIs book.ACC. : "I read the book." Sentences with Indirect Objects and Subordinate Clauses For sentences with indirect objects (such as Time, Manner, Place,...) and subordinate clauses, the word order is SOV, as in German. : E.g. Hu Kronfalka igite. : 3sI.NOM Kronfalk.DAT go.3sI.PERF. : "He went to Kronfalk (Greenwood)." : Wa videmet en gant hu ho galdis nag nedre dange. : 1s.NOM see.1s.SBJ.PERF a.Is man.ACC who.3sI five cat.Ip.ACC from before have.3sI.PAST. : "I may have seen a man who once had five cats." Questions Yes-No questions have the word order VSO. If a specific answer is needed, a query pronoun can be used. : E.g. Vin Dure en zuraherge? : be.2sII.PRES 2sII.NOM a.Is magician.female.ACC? : "Are you a sorceress?" : Eben Dure u vürrant? : can.2sII.PRES 2sII.NOM what.ACC cast.SPN : "What can you cast?" Relative Clauses Relative clauses are formed with either use of the relative pronoun aren, or a comma delimiting it from the main sentence. : E.g. Uris hejer, gowen i arev aredinere fan rutes vri. : 1p.NOM believe.1p.PRES, air.NOM and sun.NOM holy.Ip.SPRL of element.PL.ACC be.3pI.PRES. : "We believe that air and sun are the holiest of elements." Negation Sentences can be negated by inserting the word ze before the word. If the verb is ver, it is simply replaced with the appropriately conjugated form of zer (to not be/do). : E.g. Wa ze a vorge! : 1s.NOM not.1s.PRES a.IIs bird.ACC! : "I am not a bird!" Noun Phrases Noun phrases are head final, unless a subordinate clause is used; said clause then follows the head. : E.g. Des cötte searis hwerge timewa aredhejma awrgoptere.... : the.IIp twelve.II pillar.IIp.NOM that.3pIII.NOM this.Dat tepmle.Is.DAT hold-up.3pIII.... : "The twelve pillars that hold up this temple...." Passive Sentences Sentences can be made passive by using the main verb as a participle and conjugating the progressive form of ver. : E.g. Han veske hun nag zurkig cölendre. : 3sIII.NOM be.3sI.PAST.PROG 3sI.DAT from previously speak.PART. : "It was previously mentioned by him." Adjective Anaphora In certain discourses, adjectives can be substituted with the particle zu. : E.g. Ur de-krainer? Wa zu. : who.Q.NOM be-the-strongest.3sI.PRES? 1s.NOM ANA. : "Who is the strongest? I am." Dictionary Swadesh List Rosenfelder Extension Geography Other Example text Category:Languages